The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-13

| Smith, j. G.. Parknurst, AnSOn u. McC0Ok.
John B. Ruhm, ana a. p. Underwood, APP
| the Army of the Cumberland. The first sug-
| gestion ~ a tribute TO Garfield was made hv
| General r. ID. Mussey, of Washington, who
| in 1881 proposed simple memorial stone in
honor of the murdered PRESIDENT. Out of
| this suggestion has come the elaborate monu-
ment now unveiled in the presence of the
| President. General Sheridan, and the officers
The sculptor. j. @. A. Ward, native Of
Ohio, was chosen by the Society, and has
exered his best 70 nm one
takes the form of a bronze standing figure of
Garfield. ten feet six inches high, on a circn-
lar pedestal eighteen feet in height, having
three buttresses equldistant about it. and
on these buttressess three bronze reclining
figures of a student, soldier, and states.
man. The drum of the PEDESTAL, just below
| the statue of Garfield, carries Oh its south
western round, "James A. Garfield, 1881
1882; on the southeastern curve, "Maior-
General u, S. ", Member Of Congress, Sen
ator. and President of the United States Of
America: and oa the northern face, Erect
ed by his Comrades of the Society Of the
Army of the Cumberland. May u, 1887. %
The slightly larger round drum below this
carries three tablets. One is for Garfield
the student, showing a globe on a shield /:
another is for Garfield the soldier, with trum-
pet and sword: and the third alludes to
craftsmanship, with laurel wreath and scales
of Justice. The three symbolic figures re-
cline in easy attitudes on the buttressess
They contribute very notably to the general
effect, having been modelled with great care
by Mr.. Ward who has hoped to make the
monument the finest work of his life.
The Student is graceful STRIPPING. clad
like young John the baptist in nothing
but loose sheep-skin. He leans thin
cheek on his left hand. and looking down,
traces with the index finger Of the right
hand on chart The figure indicates Gar
fields early days of study up to the period Of
the civil war. The soldier refers to his war
record. 1t is bearded man with wolf
skin covering head and shoulders, broad
belt. and ancient brdecde bound with throngs
such as the Gauls and other barbarian races
wore in old times, the feet being shod with
sandals. He rouses up. proplng himself on
his left arm, and with the right seizes the
handle of his sword. The legs are crossed
and the look is boldly forward. Garfeld's
third period of life is represented by middle
aged Roman, clad in toga, wearing sandals
and holding upright on the buttress plain
slab with Law, Justice, Prosperity" in
Scribed thereon. The face is said to have
been modelled from that of Secretary Bayard
Rolls such as served in classic times for
books are under his feet, and he looks firmly
out, neither upward nor downward. Thus,
from whatever side one approaches the mon
ument, q beautiful, a martial. or dignifed
bronze figure is to be seen resting on one of
the buttressess. Looped lines of oak leaves
and ac0rns cast in bronze carry the decOra-
tive metal effect round the shaft, linking the
figures together by sort of background
motif
Garfield stands on well-proportioned
shaft of several drums, resting his right hand
lightly ON a draped 0ctag0nal pillar Of con-
lower breast pamphlet inscribed, Statutes
of the United States" The action is Just
subsequent to reading salnud, when the SEN
tence can be finished from memory, and the
book. for the moment useless. Is lowered
somewhat, and held against the breast, q
little to the left. Garfield wears a light
0vercoat and his trousers are very full SO
that the lower leg is mass OF big folds or
wrinkles. He looks upward in lofty way,
as If he were addressing the Senate on some
topic of national Importance. When seen
from the Maryland avenue approach, with
the Capitol as background, it will 60 hard
with the statue if the stranger in Washing
ton is not attracted by the bearded face
lifted so intelligently in grave speech, and
fails to ask who the man is commemorated
by that pile. There is an air of quiet de-
termination about the figure which speaks
well for the Sculpt0r'S taste, while the posi-
ton of the legs of the three symbolical
statues on the lower plane, especially those
of the Student and Soldier, give movement
to monument which otherwise would be
remarkable for repose. These bronzes are
larger than life, being eight feet high, and
Student is said to resemble Garfield when
young.
Leaving the other periods to the subsidia-
ry figures, the sculptor has considered Gar
field himself in his political rather than his
military capacity, notwithstanding the fact
that the military society of which he was
member. has had most to do with the erec-
tion of the memorial. 1t is true that Gar
field won his Major Generals epaulets with
the Army of the Cumberland, ceasing his
connection after the battle of Chickamauga I;
but his real eminence was in congress, and
what endeared him most to the country was
the lin certain sense) fortunate mishap of
falling under the bullet of half-mad assas-
sin. As Senator and President is he remem-
bered. Mr.. Ward has done well not to de-
pict him in military dress, but as he might
stand on the floor of the Senate, arguing
firmly but not with brilliant speech, in favor
of the right, or in a court of law conducting
a case.
Mr.. Wards monument is remarkable for
its repose, and the beauty Of its component
parts; the composition is fairly original
Perhaps it may not be found in general out
lines instinct with the attributes of the high
est forms of the fine arts. But it is fine
monument, on the whole; it does represent
fairly the sterling traits of the Ohio canal
boat man, the ambitious and studious schol-
ar, Jealous volunteer officer, and worthy
Chief Magistrate of the Union.